Christmas Eve 2012

The kids were going crazy on Christmas Eve.  They were just so excited...and Mom and Dad were busy in the morning doing this, that, and the other.  Finally, at lunchtime official family time began.  

After stopping for some lunch, we made our annual trip to Olbrich Botanical Gardens to see their holiday train display.  It's really the plants that are the stars of the show, and this year was no exception.  The poinsettias were amazing.  The past two years the display has had a forest/birdhouse theme.  This year they went with a tropical island theme.  I missed the birdhouses, but I have to admit that it was a stunning and festive display, with all of the tropical plants.  (And did I mention the gorgeous poinsettias?)

David and Mary LOVED the trains.  They watched them for ages.  (By the way, in the past we have gone first thing in the morning...which is always with the toddler crowd.  This time we went during toddler naptime, and we just about had the place to ourselves.  Much more fun.)

After watching the trains, we headed over to the conservatory.  It is so warm and humid in there--such a nice contrast to the bitter Wisconsin winter outside.

Mary loved exploring the paths through the tropical forest.

And David took a keen interest in learning about the different plants.

It was a good time.  We will miss this little Madison tradition we've created for Christmas Eve.

Back at home, we got to work on our Christmas Eve feast.  Mary helped with the table.  With her mad sewing, tying, and writing skills, she was a huge help!  Look at what a great job she did.

Then we ate.  Yum!

After dinner I read the kids Christmas books while Greg did the dishes.  Then we acted out the Nativity (picture here).  Next David and Mary exchanged gifts with one another.  They were ecstatic!  David gave Mary some Super Flubber (whatever that is), and she thought it was the greatest thing ever.

(He also gave her a Lego Friends set, which she opened on Christmas Day.  Very cool.)

Mary was determined to get David a Bionicle--which are now Hero Factory guys.  She picked one out all by herself--and David LOVED it.  He went crazy with excitement and gratitude!

Our kids do a really good job of picking out gifts for each other.  They just know better than Greg and I.  I guess because they are both kids and both in the kid frame of mind, and they do spend a lot of time together.   Over time I am realizing it's better not to try to influence them in their choices--they do a great job on their own.  Better than their parents can.  It's good to have a sibling!

After new pajamas we lit our candles and sang lots of Christmas songs.  Mary is quite the singer.  You can tell she really enjoys singing, and I'm amazed at how fast she learned a lot of carols this year.

All day the kids had been checking on Santa's progress thanks to Norad.  Mary is totally freaked out by Santa, and she was getting more and more nervous the closer he got.  Apparently Spain was too close for comfort because by that point she was begging to go to bed for fear of accidentally seeing him.  (We should probably tell her he is not real.  The problem is that David wants to believe.  David loves believing--and I feel like he should be allowed to, at least for a little while longer.  So I guess Mary will just have to deal--and probably go to therapy when she's older.)

We put Mary to bed very early.  Then Greg read to David for a long time.  Long enough for Mary to fall deep asleep.  Then I sneaked outside David's window with the sleigh bells and rang them.  He was in bed with his lights off in no time!  This was the first year I rang the bells.  I'm glad Greg got a chance to see how seriously David takes the bells--and how excited he is!  And, I have to admit, I had a good time ringing the bells.

Then, as any parent knows, with the kids asleep, the real work began!

I love Christmas Eve.

(If you want, you can take a peak at past Wisconsin Christmas Eves here and here.  No wonder I love Christmas Eve!)

Outing

We follow three academic calendars in our family.  Sometimes school breaks and holidays observed and parent-teacher conferences align, but often they do not.  For instance, last year we had three different spring breaks, David, Mary, and Greg each with their own.  This year, miraculously, all three of the students had the same week off for spring break.  

The first half of the week was spent working on a project in the backyard.  The kids excitedly followed their dad around for hours as he hammered, nailed, painted, mowed, dug, hauled, and took the inevitable thirteen trips to Home Depot.  The second half of the week was spent in Kansas City.

But there was one day when Greg needed to go to campus and focus on his research.  And our little friends were all out of town, so there were no play dates on the calendar.  So I had the kids to myself.  I stared at my kids for a few minutes, trying to remember.  There was something familiar about this situation: Me, my kids, and a whole day ahead of us.  What does a mom do with her kids on a day off of school? 

Then I remembered.  An outing.  You go on an outing!  (My, how life has changed. Back in the day before school and all that comes with it--like homework and after school activities and playing with friends--I do believe I took my kids on an outing almost every day.  For sanity.  Toddlerhood requires a full agenda if you and your kids are not homebodies.)

With such unseasonably warm weather the past few months, I thought we could visit Olbrich Botanical Gardens and looks for signs of spring.

We found them:

Green grass and blossoming magnolia trees.  (I love the scent of magnolia blossoms.  Heavenly.)

And emerging tulips.  (I love tulips.  Too bad they don't smell like anything.  But that's what the spring magnolias are for.)

We posed under the Thai pavilion.

And climbed on an elephant.

And skipped through the birches.

Then we tried out a new playground.

And inspected the shore of Lake Monona.

It's nice to get out.

***

I leave you with this picture from the botanical gardens.  Sometimes it's hard having a little sister.  There is little difference between adoring and annoying.

Come to visit us in April

If you come visit us in April, you will first and foremost be greeted with snow. What did you expect? This is Wisconsin.

But you will also be greeted by this sweet girl,

who will have lots of plans for you involving paint and books and puzzles and more paint,

as well as being greeted by a certain Lego-loving soul who resides in our home.

A trip to the zoo is very possible, but expect to wear gloves and see cold weather loving animals like

penguins

and polar bears,

Like this here super cute little polar bear.

(Although we can't count her as a cold weather loving animal.)

But you might get lucky and have a close encounter with a tiger.

You also might get to visit Little Switzerland. Fortunately, little New Glarus is charming any month of the year.

(The pizzeria beneath the hotel is where we ate to celebrate the piano.)

A visit to New Glarus isn't complete without a stop at the famous bakery, where local ingredients and old world specialties are the order of the day.

It's so yummy you might feel inspired to do a little dance out front.

After a treat or two, your hands will be sweet and sticky, guaranteed.

While you are here, after the snow melts, it may be warm enough to take a spin on a scooter without a coat.

Or it might be dreary and chilly, requiring heavy jackets for a neighborhood bike ride.

Or one afternoon it might be so cold that Mom will refuse to come out into the backyard to take pictures of the kids playing all bundled up from head to toe. (Hence, no pictures of that.)

One thing seems certain. Any pretty blooms will have to come from the local grocery store

or be enjoyed inside the Bolz Conservatory.

If you get to visit Olbrich Gardens in April with this guy

it will probably be dreary outside.

But at least you will have this sweet face

as well as a five-headed boa

to keep you company.

If you come visit us in April, it's likely your hands and nose will be cold. But we promise to do our best to keep your heart warm!

I don't know about you all, but I was naively expecting buds and blooms come April. Sigh. But this is Wisconsin: there are no buds and blooms come April.

But this is Wisconsin: there is always something lovely.

(Thanks again for the visit, Grammy. Next time we see you, we'll be roasting in the Texas heat--and wishing for a little Wisconsin April chill!)